Proverbs 2
New International Reader's Version
Good Things Come From Wisdom
2 My son, accept my words.
Store up my commands inside you.
2 Let your ears listen to wisdom.
Apply your heart to understanding.
3 Call out for the ability to be wise.
Cry out for understanding.
4 Look for it as you would look for silver.
Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord.
You will find out how to know God.
6 The Lord gives wisdom.
Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
7 He stores up success for honest people.
He is like a shield to those who live without blame.
8 He guards the path of those who are honest.
He watches over the way of his faithful ones.
9 You will understand what is right and honest and fair.
You will understand the right way to live.
10 Your heart will become wise.
Your mind will delight in knowledge.
11 Good sense will keep you safe.
Understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of evil men.
It will save you from men who twist their words.
13 Men like that have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways.
14 They take delight in doing what is wrong.
They take joy in twisting everything around.
15 Their paths are crooked.
Their ways are not straight.
16 Wisdom will save you from a woman who commits adultery.
It will save you from a sinful woman and her tempting words.
17 She has left the man she married when she was young.
She has broken the promise she made in front of God.
18 Surely her house leads down to death.
Her paths lead to the spirits of the dead.
19 No one who goes to her comes back
or reaches the paths of life.
20 You will walk in the ways of good people.
You will follow the paths of those who do right.
21 Honest people will live in the land.
Those who are without blame will remain in it.
22 But sinners will be cut off from the land.
Those who aren’t faithful will be torn away from it.
Proverbs 2
New International Version
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son,(A) if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding(B)—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.(E)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)
9 Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(L)
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.(M)
12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
and who are devious in their ways.(R)
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(S)
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(U)
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.(V)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
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